Translating technology, Transforming lives Winter 2019 Bionic connections Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological diseases after stroke. More than 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy and about three percent of Australians will suffer a seizure at some point in their life. Epilepsy is diagnosed by observing the electrical activity of the brain by electroencephalography (EEG). However, this is not always a straightforward process, especially since seizures are unpredictable. Conventional EEG recordings are impractical for more than a day or two, may not capture an event, and repeat visits or in- hospital stays are expensive. For over a decade, we have been developing the concept of a small implant that will allow continuous and long-term recording of brain activity. We were proud to announce last year that we had developed the Minder™ device. It has been designed to be able to reliably monitor seizures outside the clinic and allow patients to go about their daily lives. Importantly, it will provide clinicians with an accurate record of seizures so that a diagnosis can be confirmed and drug therapies can be better tailored to individuals. Minder™ is the culmination of years of research and development led by neurologist Professor Mark Cook (Director of the Graeme Clark Institute and Chair of Medicine at the University of Melbourne), Associate Professor Chris Williams from the Bionics Institute, colleagues from the University of Melbourne and more recently Cochlear Ltd, one of the world’s leading medical device companies and partner. Based on successful research and development over the last 12 months we are extremely excited that the first clinical trials are now expected to commence before the end of 2019. In the news Minder ™ : On the path to clinical trial Prof Mark Cook and epilepsy patient Natalie. Gut-brain-axis the target of implantable device for IBD The Bionics Institute was featured in the Herald Sun on 9 May 2019 highlighting our invention and development of a small implantable device to manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Lead researcher, Dr Sophie Payne, was interviewed by ABC Adelaide and explained the benefits of a bionic solution to treat bowel disease including how it would alleviate the need for expensive medications. Giving Parkinson’s the BiRD – a device to diagnose Parkinson’s disease On 11 April 2019, Dr Thushara Perera was featured on channels 7, 9, and 10 for his work in developing a unique, palm-worn device which could become a major tool for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The story also received international exposure. To measure hearing, listen to your heart Research Engineer, Dr Mehrnaz Shoushtarian, was featured in the Herald Sun and several international online publications on 1 March 2019 for her discovery into the link between heart rate and hearing. This finding has significant implications for assessing hearing in those unable to communicate what they hear to their audiologist.
Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological diseases after stroke. More than 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy and about three percent of Australians will suffer a seizure at some point in their life.
Epilepsy is diagnosed by observing the electrical activity of the brain by electroencephalography (EEG). However, this is not always a straightforward process, especially since seizures are unpredictable. Conventional EEG recordings are impractical for more than a day or two, may not capture an event, and repeat visits or in-hospital stays are expensive.
For over a decade, we have been developing the concept of a small implant that will allow continuous and long-term recording of brain activity. We were proud to announce last year that we had developed the Minder™ device. It has been designed to be able to reliably monitor seizures outside the clinic and allow patients to go about their daily lives. Importantly, it will provide clinicians with an accurate record of seizures so that a diagnosis can be confirmed and drug therapies can be better tailored to individuals.
Minder™ is the culmination of years of research and development led by neurologist Professor Mark Cook (Director of the Graeme Clark Institute and Chair of Medicine at the University of Melbourne), Associate Professor Chris Williams from the Bionics Institute, colleagues from the University of Melbourne and more recently Cochlear Ltd, one of the world’s leading medical device companies and partner.
Based on successful research and development over the last 12 months we are extremely excited that the first clinical trials are now expected to commence before the end of 2019.
In the newsMinder™: On the path to clinical trial
Prof Mark Cook and epilepsy patient Natalie.
Gut-brain-axis the target of implantable device for IBD The Bionics Institute was featured in the Herald Sun on 9 May 2019 highlighting our invention and development of a small implantable device to manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Lead researcher, Dr Sophie Payne, was interviewed by ABC Adelaide and explained the benefits of a bionic solution to treat bowel disease including how it would alleviate the need for expensive medications.
Giving Parkinson’s the BiRD – a device to diagnose Parkinson’s diseaseOn 11 April 2019, Dr Thushara Perera was featured on channels 7, 9, and 10 for his work in developing a unique, palm-worn device which could become a major tool for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The story also received international exposure.
To measure hearing, listen to your heartResearch Engineer, Dr Mehrnaz Shoushtarian, was featured in the Herald Sun and several international online publications on 1 March 2019 for her discovery into the link between heart rate and hearing. This finding has significant implications for assessing hearing in those unable to communicate what they hear to their audiologist.
Restoring the Magic of HearingHearing loss from noise exposure is currently an untreatable condition that affects people in many walks of life, particularly those working in the military, construction, transport, manufacturing, and live music and entertainment industries.
Untreated hearing loss has far reaching consequences, and is not restricted to the inability to communicate with loved ones. Alarmingly, hearing loss is also associated with cognitive decline, social isolation and depression. We now know that people with even mild symptoms of hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia than those with normal hearing.
In March, the Bionics Institute announced its Restoring the Magic of Hearing campaign, designed to raise $10 million for novel hearing therapies based on Australian innovation.
Our team of researchers, led by Associate Professor Andrew Wise in collaboration with chemical engineers at the University of Melbourne and clinicians, is developing a novel technology to treat hearing loss that delivers a therapeutic agent (drug) directly to the damaged cells in the inner ear.
The technology is based on a unique method of delivery that “loads” the drug into tiny particles created through nano-engineering. This breakthrough has enabled the delivery of drugs to the hard-to-reach inner ear, at levels that are safe and effective over time.
Our results so far are very promising and the team is focused on generating the data needed to initiate a clinical trial as soon as possible in the next few years.
Dr Sherryl Wagstaff, ENT surgeon and clinical collaborator in our hearing therapeutics program, said, “I used to say to my patients, forget it, not in my lifetime; you are not going to see a cure for hearing loss. Now, I’m back to dreaming again, and it’s really exciting.”
Any gift, large or small, will help this research program. Please contact Robert Klupacs on 03 9667 7525 or reception on 03 9667 7500 if you’d like to learn more about this research and how you can make a difference. Significant donations can include naming rights to the hearing therapeutics program, fellowships, or individual research positions.
A world-first device for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)Five million people globally are affected by IBD, and every year the condition costs Australian taxpayers $3.1 billion. The cause of IBD is unknown, and symptoms such as fever, fatigue and abdominal pain can be debilitating for sufferers.
To address this healthcare gap, Melbourne researchers have invented and developed a small, implantable device to manage IBD. The novel device applies electrical stimulation to the abdominal branch of the vagus nerve - a major nerve that connects the brain to the gut. It can immediately detect when the body is inflamed or infected, and once activated has an anti-inflammatory effect in the gut. Lead researcher, Dr Sophie Payne, explained the benefit of a bionic solution to treat IBD and how it will
alleviate the need for expensive medications. “It’s like fixing broken plumbing with better wiring…basically we’re calming down symptoms by activating the body’s own inbuilt anti-inflammatory system.”
This world-first device stimulates the abdominal vagus nerve in a unique manner. This safe, effective and painless method has been proven in the lab to alleviate symptoms in Crohn’s disease (a form of IBD).
The device is completing the necessary high level manufacturing and quality requirements and is expected to commence first-in-human trials by the end of the year.
During the past six months our researchers and clinical collaborators have been busy undertaking the wide-ranging activities required to bring two novel bionic devices to first-in-human clinical trials.
As detailed on the front page, our seizure-monitoring device Minder™ is the culmination of 10 years of research and development. This small device is implanted under the scalp and enables continuous monitoring of brain activity over extended periods of time. It will free patients from hospital stays while clinicians can collect crucial information about seizure events.
For the past five years, in collaboration with the Florey Institute and Austin Hospital and with funding from the US Government, we have also been developing a small, implantable device to manage the debilitating symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Our pre-clinical studies, which have recently been published in prestigious scientific journals, have shown that the device is safe and effective in repairing the bowel inflammation that causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. The commencement of a first-in-human clinical trial is now just a few months away.
We are very excited that both these projects are nearing the end of their pre-clinical phase and fast approaching their clinical phase, where they can have a real impact on patient well-being by improving diagnosis and symptom management.These clinical trials are the first important steps in bringing these breakthrough devices to Australian patients.
In the next few years we hope to trial a novel way to introduce therapeutic agents into the inner ear to treat hearing loss. In March, we launched our Restoring the Magic of Hearing campaign to support this research. Read on to see how you can help us achieve our goal.
Giving Parkinson’s disease the BiRD Over the past seven years Dr Thushara Perera has led the Movement Measurement Team at the Institute. Dr Perera has designed and developed several clinical devices for people who are suffering from movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
One example is a unique palm-worn device which could become a major tool for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The device is designed to be used by a general practitioner as a simple test which can accurately measure rigidity (stiffness), one of hallmark symptoms of this disease.
To measure hearing, listen to your heart Early detection of hearing loss is vital for babies who are born with a hearing impairment.
Early detection and treatment for hearing loss is imperative for good language development, with life-long consequences for social, educational and employment opportunities, and quality of life.
Researchers at the Bionics Institute have discovered a new way to objectively assess hearing by measuring heart rate. We measured heart rate with a user-friendly brain imaging method called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which records the brain’s response to sounds as well as cardiac information such as heart rate.
Dr Mehrnaz Shoushtarian, the lead researcher said that objective methods of measuring hearing were crucial for babies and other people who are unable to communicate what they hear to their audiologist.
We’re welcoming you to the Bionics Institute After the success of our Discovery Series last year, we’re inviting interested members of the public for a series of ‘walk-throughs’ at our home base in East Melbourne.
We encourage you to visit and talk to our researchers to find out more about the amazing work our people are conducting behind the scenes.
Come along to find out about the breadth of our projects, and the different ways we’re translating our research to improve human health.
Please contact us if you are interested (03 9667 7500) or visit our website and follow our social media pages for updates on dates and registration as they become available.
Bionics Institute Award for Excellence in Medical Device InnovationThe Bionics Institute Award for excellence in medical device innovation acknowledges an individual who, through their innovation and/or inventiveness, has made a significant contribution to the development of a medical device, particularly one which has been successfully commercialised.
In July 2018, during the annual Graeme Clark Oration, Professor Peter Seligman was the inaugural recipient for his significant contribution to the development of cochlear implants.
This year we again want to celebrate Australian innovation and highlight some of the brilliant minds in medical device development right here in our own backyard.
Nominations have now closed and the winner of the $5,000 award will be announced on the evening of the Graeme Clark Oration (22nd July 2019).
The BiRD device being worn by a patient.
Baby wearing a brain imaging (fNIRS) cap. Photo courtesy of David Caird and Herald Sun
Workplace giving The Bionics Institute is a registered charity of Good2Give. Good2Give workplace giving enables employees to make pre-tax donations to registered charities direct from their pay.
Thank youThe Institute would like to thank all of our donors for their support over the past year.Your donations and contributions are vital for helping us to transform lives.
Your gift will support our dedicated research teams with their projects, equipment purchases and research fellowships. If you would like to help, then please visit our website to make an online donation www.bionicsinstitute.org or contact us directly on (03) 9667 7500.
bionicsinstitute.org
Call for research participantsAre you the parent or guardian of a child under 12 months? We are seeking children in this age group who have passed their newborn screening test to participate in a research project that aims to improve the early language development in children born with hearing loss.
If you would like more information about the project, please contact Professor Colette McKay on (03) 9667 7522 or email the hearing study team at [email protected].
Are you an adult with tinnitus? We are currently seeking individuals over 18 with chronic tinnitus in Melbourne, preferably moderate to severe. Tinnitus, also known as ‘ringing in the ears’, involves the perception of sounds when there is no external sound present.
Using an optical imaging device, the project aims to develop an objective measure of the severity of tinnitus.
If you are interested in taking part or would like to know more information, please contact Nicola Horvath at [email protected] or phone (03) 9667 7515.
Vale Michael Robinson AOThe community of the Bionics Institute of Australia, along with extended networks of the Bionic Ear Institute (1986-2011), were saddened to learn of the passing of Michael Bennett Robinson AO who died in March 2019 after a period of illness.
We pay tribute to Michael who joined the Bionic Ear Institute board in 1993 and was appointed Chairman in 1998. Michael, who retired from the board in 2003, always thought the organisation was a very special place with inspiring people dedicated to making lives better.
His tireless efforts helped transition the Institute physically and financially during its establishment phase towards the dynamic research organisation it is today. Michael’s contribution to Australia was recognised in 2001 when he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.
The Institute acknowledges Michael’s service and legacy with gratitude, and extends our deepest sympathy to Judith, his children and grandchildren.
